Middle Eastern Cuisine
- Grandmas' Gardens
- Planting for Pickles
- Camel Meat?
- Miriam's Kitchen
- Being a Good Host
- Food and Religion
- Finding great Middle Eastern Food
- Food and Religious Custom
- Easy Paklava Cookies
- Rice in Middle Eastern Cuisine
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
One side of my family were descendents of the Mayflower - the other side came over on a much more recent boat. But they both lived for their annual gardens.
When my father's parents retired, they moved into a house that was one door down from my mother's parents. It wasn't that they were the best of friends (although they did get on fairly well), it was just one of those happy accidents that - when Dad's parents had to leave the manse my grandfather's church had provided for them when he was a serving pastor and find a home to live in in their retirement - the perfect place just happened to be on the market...and it was just down from the house where Mom's parents had lived for as long as I could remember.
And so began the "Great Garden Rivalry," though it was, albeit, a friendly one as these things go. For years, my maternal grandparents had turned most of their ample backyard into a garden that supplied fresh vegetables for the table and winter pantry. While my paternal grandparents had had to limit their earlier gardening to a much smaller plot behind the urban manse, they, too, now had big horticultural plans for the new place.
That first spring, both of them spent long hours out in the backyard, double-digging what had been a passable lawn and turning it into soil ready to plant with tomatoes, peppers, beans, strawberries and such. When they were finished, there was nothing untilled but a small strip by the porch for a picnic table and some flowers - and the section where an ancient lilac tree remained undisturbed.
From that year on - until no one on either side could still raise a hoe or handle a trowel, who could grow the biggest tomato or who produced the most beans was the stuff that kept the world spinning through the seasons.
And so began the "Great Garden Rivalry," though it was, albeit, a friendly one as these things go. For years, my maternal grandparents had turned most of their ample backyard into a garden that supplied fresh vegetables for the table and winter pantry. While my paternal grandparents had had to limit their earlier gardening to a much smaller plot behind the urban manse, they, too, now had big horticultural plans for the new place.
That first spring, both of them spent long hours out in the backyard, double-digging what had been a passable lawn and turning it into soil ready to plant with tomatoes, peppers, beans, strawberries and such. When they were finished, there was nothing untilled but a small strip by the porch for a picnic table and some flowers - and the section where an ancient lilac tree remained undisturbed.
From that year on - until no one on either side could still raise a hoe or handle a trowel, who could grow the biggest tomato or who produced the most beans was the stuff that kept the world spinning through the seasons.
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
Nothing is better than gathering the vegetables you've planted yourself and putting them by for the winter. But it requires planning.
Ok, I admit it. It might seem a bit strange to be talking about pickling small jars of fresh garden produce for winter storage when the soil has finally warmed in the early summer air - and the vegetable plants are just starting to show a bit of promise. But that is exactly the right time to be thinking about such things.
It's sort of like all those bedtime stories we would hear as children...about the wise squirrel (or mouse) who would gather food all summer and fall so as to have enough to eat all winter. This is the time of year to be that "wise squirrel" and to be thinking about what you want to put away in the fall, as you plant your spring garden.
For me, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, eggplants and all sorts of squash are right up there on my "must plant" list. These, along with onions, cauliflower and a few other things that don't grow well where I live, are "must haves" now - for as trhe season progresses, they will become the main ingredients of dishes ranging from tabouleh to dolma; homemade pickles to various soups and stews. But, if fail to plant them now - I will be like the "foolish" squirrel, regretting it later - and visiting the Farmers' Market!
It's sort of like all those bedtime stories we would hear as children...about the wise squirrel (or mouse) who would gather food all summer and fall so as to have enough to eat all winter. This is the time of year to be that "wise squirrel" and to be thinking about what you want to put away in the fall, as you plant your spring garden.
For me, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers, eggplants and all sorts of squash are right up there on my "must plant" list. These, along with onions, cauliflower and a few other things that don't grow well where I live, are "must haves" now - for as trhe season progresses, they will become the main ingredients of dishes ranging from tabouleh to dolma; homemade pickles to various soups and stews. But, if fail to plant them now - I will be like the "foolish" squirrel, regretting it later - and visiting the Farmers' Market!
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
We eat what our culture thinks is proper to eat - and visa versa.
I just finished posting an article about camels - as a food source in the Middle East and North Africa. When I first read that camel meat was especially popular during Ramadan for the evening meals that are allowed during this great Islamic month of fasting, prayer and contemplation, my first feeling was that kind of sick feeling you get when you read about animals that (in the West) are more suited for pets or circuses, than for dinner menus. But that really is a pretty ethnocentric reaction.
What we eat (or don't eat) and why we eat it (or don't eat it) as a culture is a incredibly interesting topic -and one that would have to be dealt with in a format far larger than this blog or even an article posting. But, basically, when I was in university studying anthropology (which is why I'm a writer today, with no "repectable trade"...) one big point about this topic that stuck was that the narrow band of animals commonly eaten in any culture traditionally falls outside of the group of cuddly creatures we keep around the house and also outside of that group we deem to be truly wild- in other words, we eat domesticated livestock. And in the Middle East, that means camels. By the way, I've yet to find a camel recipe I actually think I could get past my lips....wonder what they says about my own ethnocentricities...
What we eat (or don't eat) and why we eat it (or don't eat it) as a culture is a incredibly interesting topic -and one that would have to be dealt with in a format far larger than this blog or even an article posting. But, basically, when I was in university studying anthropology (which is why I'm a writer today, with no "repectable trade"...) one big point about this topic that stuck was that the narrow band of animals commonly eaten in any culture traditionally falls outside of the group of cuddly creatures we keep around the house and also outside of that group we deem to be truly wild- in other words, we eat domesticated livestock. And in the Middle East, that means camels. By the way, I've yet to find a camel recipe I actually think I could get past my lips....wonder what they says about my own ethnocentricities...
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
Miriam's Kitchen is an insightful memoir - and a book that seeks to make the connections between food and family recipes...and what they teach us about ourselves.
I've been reading an excellent book recently, "Miriam's Kitchen," by Elizabeth Ehrlich ( Viking; 1997). The author describes her grandmothers' kitchens as "busy, onion-scented, Yiddish- accented" refuges, where she grew up, learning far more about life than about the intricacies of Kosher cuisine.
As an adult, with a growing family of her own, she developed a deeper appreciation of her own roots - her family's extended history and how she grew into the person she was to become - by going back to these recipes and learning from her mother-in-law how to cook traditional Jewish foods. In the process, she also leanred a great deal about herself.
It's not a cookbook, but a book of recipes...recipes for living. Recipes for learning to make the connections between one's history and ethnicity and food.
Miriam, her mother-in-law was a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust. As an old woman - and immigrant to America - she carried her culture and her childhood memories of family within her traditional dishes. As the book notes, each day Miriam cooked her family's meals, certain that her work creating them mattered in ways that went far beyond the filling of collective stomachs...they mattered in ways that sustained her family's souls, as well.
It's a terrific book - if you see it on the bookshop shelves, pick it up.
As an adult, with a growing family of her own, she developed a deeper appreciation of her own roots - her family's extended history and how she grew into the person she was to become - by going back to these recipes and learning from her mother-in-law how to cook traditional Jewish foods. In the process, she also leanred a great deal about herself.
It's not a cookbook, but a book of recipes...recipes for living. Recipes for learning to make the connections between one's history and ethnicity and food.
Miriam, her mother-in-law was a survivor of the Jewish Holocaust. As an old woman - and immigrant to America - she carried her culture and her childhood memories of family within her traditional dishes. As the book notes, each day Miriam cooked her family's meals, certain that her work creating them mattered in ways that went far beyond the filling of collective stomachs...they mattered in ways that sustained her family's souls, as well.
It's a terrific book - if you see it on the bookshop shelves, pick it up.
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
Creating a welcoming environment for your guests - and being known as a generous host in important in Middle Eastern homes.
There is a tradition of hospitality in Middle Eastern homes that runs deep – as deep as the Quran, actually. There are whole passages exhorting believers to be excellent hosts – but not to engage in conspicuous consumption. In short, generosity is a major way to grow in prestige in your community, just as a sure way to lose the admiration of your friends and neighbors in through stinginess.
That being said, there is also an intricate set of manners to be observed on the part of both the host and the guest. When offered food, for example, it is polite to refuse the gesture twice – and then to graciously accept it the third time it is offered. For his part, it is also expected that, when offering food, it should be offered three times, with the expectation that the first two times, it will be refused.
The idea of creating a welcoming environment with comfortable surroundings and good conversation and company is equally important to the whole business of being a good host. As the Syrian proverb says, "Good cooking is only half of hospitality."
The "other half’ is taking the time with your guests to gossip, tell jokes and engage in the fine art of conversation. When you think about it, isn’t this exactly the kind of atmosphere in which to enjoy an afternoon of Mezes and Turkish Coffee…or possibly indulging in some excellent Arak over a heated game of Tavbli?
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
As the three great religions of the Middle East have grown and spread around the world, so have large portions of their cuisines.
When you think about it, nothing spreads new foods and ways of preparing it around the world like religious zeal. We can look at it many ways, of course, but since I’m supposed to be blogging about Middle Eastern cuisine, let’s look at it in terms of the interplay between Islam, Judaism and Christianity in the Fertile Crescent. (By the way, I have always loved what that old term for the region evokes. You can almost smell the ripening grain, the baking breads and vine ripe fruits….)
Anyway, back to religion. The years 750 – 1258 marked the Abbasid Dynasty or what has commonly been called the "Golden Age of Islam." It was also during this period that we see both a green revolution in agriculture in the Middle East and the development of the quintessential Islamic Cuisine from the blending of the earlier traditions of Arab, Iranian, Turkish and even Mediterranean elements. In other words, as Islam developed and spread throughout the greater region, the food culture followed suit. During this time, we also see the creation of the first cookbooks – in Arabic.
Then, from 1096 – to around 1291, we have the period of the Crusades…all seven of them. The Europeans brought more than their brand of Christianity to the (now) Islamic countries - they brought many of their plants and the recipes and cooking techniques that went along with them. Just as importantly, the Crusaders returned to their homelands with new foods and cooking techniques.
Want more? Look at ways in which a uniquely Israeli cuisine/culture is being created – partly from the Azkanazi traditions that are pretty European partly from the North African Sephardic foodways and partly from traditions that have been part of the Middle East generally for thousands of years.
Finding great Middle Eastern Food
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
When you're looking for great Middle Eastern food in restaurants, think regionally and open yourself to many possibilities.
I’ve gotten a couple of questions from readers regarding where they could find Armenian food…or Lebanese food or Syrian food in their town or city. The short answer is that it can be a challenge – although every year, it seems like that challenge gets a bit easier. No matter where you live, here’s the first thing to do: Don’t think in terms of a specific ethnicity when you’re browsing the phone book – or your favorite search engine. Think "Middle Eastern Food," think "Mediterranean Food"…You can even find Middle Eastern kinds of dishes in a restaurant specializing in Balkan cuisine, or Afghani food …or even Georgian (The former Soviet Republic, not the southern-fried state in the U.S.).
The bottom line is that the ancient cuisine of the Middle East is not all that dissimilar from country to country (except, of course for some significant religious food taboos that I talk about in other blogs and articles). For example, I once enjoyed incredible kebabs in a "hole in the wall" Bulgarian grill in Washington D.C. (Bulgaria was once part of the Ottoman Empire). I’ve also had amazing pilaf in a Georgian café and Greek restaurants, generally, have excellent food that is common throughout the Middle East, as well.
The moral of the story? Get out there – and experiment! Don’t assume that because you can’t find " Armenian" or "Syrian" or whatever in the advertising that you can’t sample great Middle Eastern- inspired dishes inside. An "alternative moral" is to maybe try to create some of these great dishes from the recipes in suite101!
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
Religious observance plays an even greater influence on dietary habits than geography or cultural influence.
There is probably no greater influence upon the cuisine and eating habits of any culture than religion. No, you say? The greatest influence for what a culture eats haw got to start with its geography? With its relationship to the wider world? With its level of general cultural achievement?
Consider this: Within the Middle East, there are deserts and mountains, as well as temperate zones. There is no water in places – and lots in others. The Middle East has had an active trade dialogue with the wider world since ancient times and many foods and dishes have been exchanged in that dialogue. Also, the earliest agriculture was found when some of the hunters and gatherers in the Levant discovered they could settle down and build cities if they farmed the land and raised domesticated livestock.
So, why do the dietary habits of Muslims, Jews and Christians living together for thousands of years in that area of the world differ from each other in some significant ways? Religion.
While it’s true that portions of the Torah, the Koran and the Bible, in places, all draw from the same sources, and it’s true that climate and geography played a role in food taboos, as well, differences in what may be eaten – and when – are still striking.
Check out a series of articles I’ve written on Suite101 for the lowdown on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and its relationship to food and religious food culture observances.
Consider this: Within the Middle East, there are deserts and mountains, as well as temperate zones. There is no water in places – and lots in others. The Middle East has had an active trade dialogue with the wider world since ancient times and many foods and dishes have been exchanged in that dialogue. Also, the earliest agriculture was found when some of the hunters and gatherers in the Levant discovered they could settle down and build cities if they farmed the land and raised domesticated livestock.
So, why do the dietary habits of Muslims, Jews and Christians living together for thousands of years in that area of the world differ from each other in some significant ways? Religion.
While it’s true that portions of the Torah, the Koran and the Bible, in places, all draw from the same sources, and it’s true that climate and geography played a role in food taboos, as well, differences in what may be eaten – and when – are still striking.
Check out a series of articles I’ve written on Suite101 for the lowdown on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and its relationship to food and religious food culture observances.
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
These little nests of nuts and phyllo dough might not be "traditional," but they are a great, light dessert treat that has way fewer calories and take less time to make.
Love the idea of making paklava, but unsure of your ability to work with the delicate, paper-thin sheets of phyllo dough that comprise the rich dessert? Love the taste of paklava, but wary of all the calories the syrupy, buttery sweet contains?
Have I got a treat for you!
I don’t really have a traditional name for these light "cookies," but they are a family favorite in our house – easy and quick to make, and not as fattening as paklava, but quite similar in the way they taste.
Here’s how to make them:
For a great recipe to make the "real" Paklava, check out Paklava , and for more things to do with Phyllo Dough, check out Spinach and Cheese Pie
Have I got a treat for you!
I don’t really have a traditional name for these light "cookies," but they are a family favorite in our house – easy and quick to make, and not as fattening as paklava, but quite similar in the way they taste.
Here’s how to make them:
- Take 8 – 10 sheets of phyllo dough (more or less, it doesn’t actually matter) and keeping them rolled up, "chiffonade" them, making cuts every quarter inch or so down the length of the rolled dough. Then, "fluff" them to separate the long fettuccine-like strips, gathering them into a big pile.
- Next, melt about 2 Tablespoons of butter, and SLOWLY mix it into the strips, fluffing with your fingers, to keep the strips from clumping.
- Taking small handfuls from the pile, mound them onto a baking sheet to form little "nests."
- In a food processor, finely grind about 1 cup of walnuts (or any nuts) with about 1/3 cup of sugar and 3 Tablespoons of a mixture of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
- Heavily sprinkle this nut mixture over the tops of each of the nests.
- Bake at 350 degree F. for about 8-10 minutes – keep checking – until the cookies are browned lightly – but not burnt.
For a great recipe to make the "real" Paklava, check out Paklava , and for more things to do with Phyllo Dough, check out Spinach and Cheese Pie
Rice in Middle Eastern Cuisine
Posted by
Debbie Kwiatoski
Debbie Kwiatoski
Although rice is not indigenous to the Middle East, it has been cultivated to suitable areas for a couple of thousand years and is quite a popular grain.
When it comes to Middle Eastern cooking, Basmati rice seems to work best for savory kinds of dishes, like pilafs and dolmas, and short grained, sticker varieties work best for sweet dishes, like rice pudding. Technically, Basmati – fragrant, slightly nutty tasting long grained rice – is not actually grown in the Middle East, but in certain sections of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. But the basmati-like varieties that are grown in many parts of the Middle East are not grown in sufficient quantities to export and pretty much stay a staple of the small regions in which they are grown.
Although it yields higher crops than equal areas of wheat or barley, both of the latter grains are used more widely in Middle Eastern cooking than is rice – but rice holds a special place in the cuisine, nonetheless. For one thing, it has been widely reported that long grain rice, cooked simply with clarified butter, was one of the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite dishes.
But, although it has been grown in marshy area of Anatolia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Syria for thousands of years, there has rarely been so much produced that it ever became an everyday food. Instead, cooked with everything from butter to sour cherries; orange peel and mulberries to tomatoes, traditionally it usually featured, mounded in great pyramids, on tables at the wedding feast or other special occasions.
Today, rice production is up in areas that are able to grow it – and a wider global economy has made it pretty widely available throughout the entire Middle East. In the 20th century, into today, it has become more popular as an everyday dish.
Although it yields higher crops than equal areas of wheat or barley, both of the latter grains are used more widely in Middle Eastern cooking than is rice – but rice holds a special place in the cuisine, nonetheless. For one thing, it has been widely reported that long grain rice, cooked simply with clarified butter, was one of the Prophet Muhammad’s favorite dishes.
But, although it has been grown in marshy area of Anatolia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Syria for thousands of years, there has rarely been so much produced that it ever became an everyday food. Instead, cooked with everything from butter to sour cherries; orange peel and mulberries to tomatoes, traditionally it usually featured, mounded in great pyramids, on tables at the wedding feast or other special occasions.
Today, rice production is up in areas that are able to grow it – and a wider global economy has made it pretty widely available throughout the entire Middle East. In the 20th century, into today, it has become more popular as an everyday dish.